Book 5: LOVE & KORRASAMI
by profane.priestess
Summary: Picks up from Book 4, episode 13, Right before Korra confronts the Spirit Energy. After dealing with Kuvira, this story turns a sharp focus on Korrasami. Sorry about changing the title. I wanted to be a little distinctive from other stories.
1. Chapter 1

As the spirit weapon aimed itself at the injured Kuvira, Korra charged in front of her, confident that she could stop it. Zaheer had insisted her powers were limitless. Raava had shown her that she was most powerful in regard to spirit energy. She couldn't stand by and let someone die. She invoked the Avatar State, braced herself for the impact, and focused her energybending into reversing the blast. Now that she had Raava back, she felt one-hundred percent confident in her spirit abilities. Even if she did die - which she was sure she wouldn't - at least she'd saved Republic City. She strained against the force of the energy beam for what seemed like an eternity, then she blacked out.

When she came to, Korra found herself floating in a strange ethereal light, looking at a reflection of herself. Suddenly, the image in front of her transformed into Kuvira, and they floated to the ground in the Spirit World. Korra had to catch the disoriented Metalbender before she hit the ground. For a second, Kuvira lay complacently in the Avatar's arms before realizing who was holding her, but when she tried to run away, she had to stop because she was in too much pain.

"What happened?" Kuvira asked. "Are we ... dead?"

"No," Korra answered calmly. "We're okay, but we're in the Spirit World. All the energy from your weapon tore open a new portal and blasted us in here."

Kuvira scowled in disbelief. "Why would you save my life, after everything I did to you?" She actually looked regretful.

"I guess ... I see a lot of myself in you," Korra answered.

"We are nothing alike!" Kuvira spat.

"Yes, we are," Korra insisted gently. "We're both fierce and determined to succeed, sometimes without thinking things through." She felt the heaviness of this truth in her gut.

"This wasn't how I wanted things to end!" The Great Uniter fell to her knees in pain and defeat. "If you would have all just surrendered, none of this would have happened!"

"You brought this on yourself," Korra calmly reminded her. "Messing with the spirit vines, acting like a dictator over your people ... You had to know what you were doing wasn't right."

"I was trying to help my people!" Kuvira argued angrily. "Su turned her back on the Earth Kingdom, you were gone! I had to do something!"

Kuvira's words stung a little, but Korra didn't let it get to her this time. "I think I get it now."

"You don't understand anything about me." Kuvira turned her head away from the Avatar.

"I do," Korra explained. "Su told me how she took you in when you were younger. It must have been so hard being an orphan."

"Don't pretend you know what it felt like!" Kuvira shouted. "The Avatar is adored by millions! I was cast aside by my own parents like I meant nothing to them." Tears fell from her eyes. "How could I stand by and watch the same thing happen to my nation, when it needed someone to guide it?"

"You wanted to create a place where you and your people would never be vulnerable again. I may not have been an orphan, but believe me, I understand what it's like to be afraid." Korra sat cross-legged on the ground. "After I was poisoned, I would have done anything to feel in control."

Kuvira listened grudgingly but interestedly.

"The first few days, I was completely paralyzed. After a couple of weeks, I could move my arms around a little and hold myself in a sitting position, but I couldn't fight. I couldn't protect myself. I couldn't even stand up.

"I went to the South Pole thinking I would be better in a couple of weeks, but that turned into a couple of years. All that time, I couldn't do anything for myself, let alone for anyone else. I'm the Avatar. I'm supposed to be the one who fights for balance and peace and I could do nothing. I wanted the same thing you wanted - to protect people - but I was powerless. I cried more days than I didn't. I couldn't be with my friends. I couldn't stop having nightmares. I couldn't stop reliving my fight with Zaheer. Over and over, I couldn't stop him.

"It has taken me three years to recover this much, and I still feel like I have healing to do. Last time we fought, you almost killed me. I know what it's like to feel powerless, and I don't want anyone else to have to feel that way. That's why I had to stop you. You may have started out wanting to help people, but in the end, you cause more suffering than healing. You're no better than Zaheer or Unalaq or Amon or any of the other tyrants who have come before you."

Kuvira cried at the truth of Korra's words. "You're right. I've become exactly the kind of person that I started off trying to protect people from." She sobbed openly, and when Korra moved to comfort her, she jerked away.

Korra was surprised to find no hatred in her heart for this woman, despite her anger. Kuvira was a flawed human being just like herself, and Korra knew how easy it was for people to lose their way.

"Come on," She said after Kuvira regained her composure. "We need to get back and let everyone know we're still alive."

Kuvira looked like she might argue for a second, but she didn't. As she started to get up the pain in her ribs seared, and she was forced to allow Korra to help her up and lead her out of the Spirit World.

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hC nd she was forced to allow Korra to help her up and lead her out of the Spirit World.

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hC rra's words. "You're right. I've become exactly the kind of person that I started off trying to protect people from." She sobbed openly, and when Korra moved to comfort her, she jerked away.

Korra was surprised to find no hatred in her heart for this woman, despite her anger. Kuvira was a flawed human being just like herself, and Korra knew how easy it was for people to lose their way.

"Come on," She said after Kuvira regained her composure. "We need to get back and let everyone know we're still alive."

Kuvira looked like she might argue for a second, but she didn't. As she started to get up the pain in her ribs seared, and she was forced to allow Korra to help her up and lead her out of the Spirit World.


	2. Chapter 2 - Missing Pieces

As they exited the Spirit Portal, Korra heard Asami say her name, and her stomach dropped out.

"You're OK!" Bolin shouted, laughing a bit hysterically.

Korra smiled, but she barely heard it. She was lost in Asami's eyes. They spoke a love as yet unspoken, and an indescribable relief that the Avatar was alive and walking toward her. Suddenly, they were surrounded by mech suits, and all thoughts of romance were currently out the window . . . as usual.

"Release Kuvira, or we will attack!" the soldiers shouted.

Removing her arm from Korra's shoulder, still clutching her broken ribs, Kuvira addressed her troops. "Stand down. This battle is over. I owe the Avatar my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve. I'll accept whatever punishment the world sees fit."

The mech suits looked at each other in confusion, but stood down as they were commanded. Everyone watched anxiously as Lin stepped forward and placed handcuffs around her wrists, wondering if it was all a ruse. The Great Uniter was still powerful, after all.

"And Su," Kuvira added, "I'm sorry for all the anguish I've caused you and your family." She seemed surprisingly remorseful.

Unsurprisingly, Suyin was not yet ready to forgive. "You're going to answer for _everything_ you've done." Korra could feel the venom in her voice. She shivered a little.

As everyone watched Su and Lin lead Kuvira away, Korra felt Asami's hand on her shoulder, and it sent little thrills of joy through her insides. She glanced back and hoped that her eyes could convey that happiness back to her friend. Then, Bolin and the Airbender kids started mauling her with hugs, and for a few moments, she couldn't move because of the group hug enveloping her. She smiled and let their love wash through her. Her loved ones were alive after everything, and she couldn't be more thankful.

Bolin and Asami refused to let go of her as they all walked away from the new Spirit Portal. Korra loved it, and put her arms around them until they got to the edge of the crater. She used her airbending to blast them up the steep incline of the vines to the top. Tenzin did the same for Mako, and the kids brought up Varrick and Zhu Li. Korra's friends couldn't stop hugging her, and it was a perfect cover for holding Asami's hand and not letting go for a while.

True to Suyin's prediction, most of Kuvira's army submitted to the surrender. However, some of them were still rabidly loyal and did not want to give up so easily. After a bit of arguing with the elders around her, Korra put Kuvira on the radio to calm the soldiers down.

"Make it good," she demanded fiercely of the Earthbender.

Kuvira nodded curtly and slowly took the radio microphone in her hands. With a deep, soothing breath, she began. "Earth Kingdom citizens, this is Kuvira. Today I have surrendered in our fight against the Avatar. I started my mission with the intention of uniting the Earth Kingdom so that it would never again fall victim to the rule of cruel and heartless leaders, but in the process, I became exactly that. I don't deserve to lead the Earth Kingdom. I let my people down, and for that, I am truly sorry. All I ever wanted was for the Earth Kingdom to be safe again, so I did what I thought I had to do in order to make that happen. I vowed to do whatever I had to do to reunite the Earth Kingdom, but I lost sight of the sanctity of life and the importance of free will. Take the education and discipline and order that I have given you and use them to keep yourselves safe from now on. The Earth Kingdom has never been stronger, and now I turn its care over to the Avatar." When she finished, Kuvira was helpless to stifle the tears pouring down her face.

Korra took the radio. "Citizens, this is your Avatar. Kuvira is right. All the good things she did went out the window when she started taking people's lives and forcing the living to do her bidding or else. This fighting has to stop. We have to learn to stand together as allies, or we'll just keep having the same stupid, senseless wars over and over again. Firelord Ozai would never have been able to stand against Kuvira. He would never have been able to destroy and conquer so much of the Earth Kingdom if we had been united in this way during the Hundred Year War.

"Who would have thought that we could put aside our petty squabbles and stand together as one? Without the use of excessive force, this united Earth Kingdom is a beautiful thing! Now we have to decide - what kind of people do we want to be? Stubborn, hard-headed, selfish, divided people? Or people that stand up for the little guy, who think about other people's feelings, who want to find compromise, and who know what pain feels like and don't want to cause any more of it?

"Our world needs healing now more than ever. It's full of millions of broken people who need to be shown compassion, not hatred, not anger, not force. If you want to be a noble people, then there are a whole lot of folks out there who need food, supplies and shelter after all this destruction. Go find them, and take care of them. Don't rest until you know that everyone is taken care of. Whatever you chose to do now with your freedom, make it something good. No. Make it something great."

Periodically throughout the rest of the night, they got radio calls back with accounts of soldiers caring for the dispossessed and bringing them to safety. The soldiers recorded everyone's names and locations in hopes to account for everyone they could and to reunite separated family members. Team Avatar & Co. also scoured the city for any people left in the rubble. Korra and Jinora used their spirit powers, and the metal benders used their subterranean radar to aid the search. After a few hours, they all went back to Air Temple Island where Korra took some time to heal a few people.

Near dawn, Asami approached Korra. "You should really get some rest. The sun will be up in a couple hours."

"I can't," Korra resisted, still working on the stranger's damaged knee.

Asami sighed and sat down nearby until Korra finished healing the man. "Alright. You're done now. Come on." She took Korra by the hand and tugged her down onto one of the couches at the side of the room.

Korra perched on the edge of her seat, and after an antsy minute of bouncing her knees, tried to get back up again.

"Oh, no you don't!" Asami grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down. "You're no good to anyone, if you can't function. Now stay."

Korra realized the truth of that statement and submitted to Asami pulling her into a fierce embrace. Their closeness made Korra want to cry a little, but she held it in. She wasn't ready for that kind of emotional outburst yet.

"Everything's OK," Asami assured her. "The worst is over, and I really think what you said on the radio inspired a lot of people. You did your job. No one else could have done what you did. The world needed you, and you were there. Now, you just have to let everyone else do their jobs while you rest for a little bit. Pretty much everyone else is asleep right now."

It was true. Only a few air acolytes were awake, and they were simply cleaning up around the main hall after having so many people trek through. She knew them. They weren't any threat. After resting in Asami's arms for a few minutes, Korra finally felt safe enough to fall asleep, and they both dozed fitfully on the couch until people in the temple started stirring again.

The day after Kuvira's attack was all business - that is until Varrick burst in and announced to everyone that he had arranged for his wedding to Zhu Li to happen that very evening.

When Korra saw Asami in her dress, she almost swallowed her tongue. She'd forgotten how much a gussied up Asami could be so mind blowing! They were practically inseparable for the rest of the night. Toward the end of the night, Korra was pretty sure they were getting some looks the last time they'd danced together, so she wandered outside to be alone for a while.

She thought about the last couple of days and wondered what the future held for her - if she and Asami would find a way to be together. Tenzin came out and distracted her for a little while, but Asami figured out where Korra was hiding and came to send him away.

"Excuse me Tenzin, Varrick is looking for you. Something about wanting to borrow a glidersuit to fly off the tower?"

Korra could not keep a straight face as Tenzin ran off to tend to Asami's false alarm, but she knew it was time to be serious. "Wanna sit with me for a minute?" she asked. "I'm not ready to get back to the party just yet."

Asami smiled, and they sat side-by-side on the steps.

Korra's heart pounded, and she had to look away. "I don't think I ever really apologized."

"For what?" Asami asked genuinely confused.

"For being gone all that time...For not coming back sooner." She turned and hoped that Asami had heard the underlying meaning in her words.

"You don't need to apologize for anything." Asami was adamant, and the gentleness in her eyes washed a great deal of Korra's guilt away. "I'm just so happy you're here now. I don't think I could have handled losing you and my father in the same day."

Asami's tears tore through the Avatar's heart, and they embraced. "I am so sorry for what happened."

"Thank you. I'm just glad I was able to forgive him."

They let go and looked into each other's eyes. "So, what now?" Korra asked awkwardly. "Back to the dance floor?"

"I'm kind of all danced out," Asami answered tiredly. "Honestly, after everything that's happened the past few months, I could use a vacation."

Korra perked up. "Let's do it! Let's go on a vacation, just the two of us. Anywhere you want."

"Really? Okay," Asami took a second to think. "I've always wanted to see what the Spirit World's like."

"Sounds perfect," Korra grinned. They sat dreamily staring at the new Spirit Portal for a few seconds. "Let's go now."

"What?"

"Seriously, let's go," the Avatar stood up and reached her hand down to Asami.

The girls hurried back to their rooms so they could grab a few things for their trip to the Spirit World - some food, water, a couple blankets, etc. Asami had come a long way in learning to pack lightly, and it was only a short few minutes before they were ready to go. Together they wrote a note to let everyone know where they were going, and left it on Asami's pillow.

_"Went to the Spirit World. Be back in a couple days._

_ -Korra & Asami" _


End file.
